The 3 Bottles You Absolutely Must Own

“If you’re going to limit it to three, and you’re going to want to have a mix of white and brown spirits, obviously vodka is going to be one of your choices; it’s a very versatile mixer. Then, if you’re going to go with another white spirit, you’re going to have to choose between gin or rum. Then you’ve got to go with a dark spirit to mix it up. So we’re going to go with a whisky.”

Vodka: “At Aria, we use vodka in a lot of applications, from the classic martini to mixes with fruit juices to something as simple as mixes with tonic or ginger beer. Vodka’s a really good neutral base to work off of. And if you want a crowd-pleasing spirit, the natural places to start is vodka. Brands that are of good value are SKYY vodka and Ketel One. I also like a Polish brand called Luksusowa. It’s a potato vodka from Poland — really good bang for the buck, good quality for what you pay. Also produced here in America is Tito’s, out of Austin, Texas.”

Rum: “Again, if you’re going to go with another white spirit, you’re going to have to choose between gin or rum. If you go back to when mixology really started to take hold in America, which was back in the 1860s, gin was the spirit of choice. If you look at all the classic cocktail books, gin is by far the No. 1 spirit. And gin has made a huge resurgence across the world in recent years. But I’d say if you’re limited to just three spirits, you’ll want to go with rum — and I’ll suggest that you go with a light rum. Something that’s mixable, that you can use to do something as simple as rum and coke, but also that you can use to create a Mai Tai if you want to get a little bit creative. Some great brands are DonQ, Cruzan and, of course, Bacardi.Those are all very affordable, light-bodied rums."

Whisky: “There’s a common misnomer that all whiskies are the same. Nothing could be further from the truth. Each style of whisky, whether it’s rye, bourbon, Scotch or Canadian whisky, all have their own singular attributes that are completely distinct from each other. In my book, the most versatile brown spirit to work with in a limited home bar is bourbon. It’s extremely mixable, perfect for your classic Manhattan, you can mix it with sodas and juices, and there’s plenty of great bourbons that offer great value. Jim Beam is the leading value brand. I’m a huge fan of Elijah Craig products, and, of course, there’s Maker's Mark. You can’t go wrong there."

Michael's Picks:

Armando’s three beginner liquors: vodka, tequila, ginVodka: “For value and quality, I would go for a recognizable brand — I would go for Absolut. It's a huge brand worldwide. I wouldn't say they are the very best, but it is the best there is for the money you will pay for it.”Tequila: “You're definitely going to need a tequila. If you have a bar at home, it’s most likely because you entertain. And there's no other spirit that I know more synonymous with partying than tequila. The first name that comes to mind is Patron. They very much carry the category. I wouldn't say, price-wise, that it is cheap, but it is not very expensive considering what you get. And if you're going to have only three bottles in your bar, I would suggest that you at least be at mid-range. You can find much more expensive bottles, but for the quality, I don't think you're going to get the same price.”Gin: “I'm a gin freak. I love gin. So I would say a bottle of Plymouth gin. That is the standard, so to speak, of gin. I would mix anything with Plymouth. I think Plymouth is actually a very versatile gin. Even people who don't like gin will most likely like Plymouth. It's sort of like a mild, soft, approachable gin. It doesn't have that tiny, Christmas-tree, juniper-berry taste. It is more subdued. It lends itself well to mixing, and makes a killer gin and tonic.”